How to Choose a Light for an Aquarium

Series Summary

People have kept and cared for fish in artificial environments for centuries, from fish bowls to wall-sized fish tanks. Collecting fish tanks with a variety of pet fish is one of the most popular hobbies in the world, and owning an aquarium provides a quiet and relaxing environment for a home. There are a variety of fish tank setups to choose from, including saltwater and freshwater aquariums, and each setup requires special care. In this free video series on fish and aquarium care, a pet store owner discusses caring for a pet fish and its aquarium. Learn how to set up an aquarium, and find out how to group different fish together. Discover ways to care for fish and extend their lives by cleaning the tanks regularly and maintaining a high quality of water. Get specific tips on caring for a goldfish and Betta fish, and explore the world of pet fish with proper care and maintenance.

Video Transcript

"Fish need light just like we do. My name is Michael and today we're going to talk about how to choose the proper light for your aquarium. One thing with lighting your aquarium is your light should be on at least 12 hours a day. Any less than that and we're going to end up with green algae. Any more than that and we're going to have brown algae. When you're picking out a light for your tank you want to make sure that you have a chosen a light and a hood that is protected with glass. We don't want to have a light over an open aquarium unless it's enclosed or it's sitting on a glass hood. Florescent lighting is going to be the best lighting for your tank. We're always worried about temperature with a fish tank and we want to maintain proper temperature. If you're using an incandescent bulb which are your screw in bulbs, they do heat up and you're going to have more heat in your tank, and it's going to be a little bit more difficult to do. When you're choosing that light bulb also it needs to be a full spectrum fish light bulb. We don't want to use a regular florescent light. We don't want to use grow lights. Grow lights are going to help you grow algae and lots of it. So it's really important that when we're choosing lighting that we have a hood that has glass or the light has glass on it. We're using a full spectrum fish light bulb. And that light bulb should be changed about every six months. Again your tank should be on for about 12 hours a day. Enjoy your fish. They're really fun to watch. My name is Michael and I'm going to do just that."